Divine
by ToKissTheRoses
Summary: Joshua has an injury to the leg, and it might be more significant to a battle than it seems. JoshuaxNatasha oneshot, slight EirSeth- if you're a rabid geek like me and see it everywhere.


Author's Note: :D So yeah, some more Joshua and Natasha fluff… I turned Natasha into a Valkyrie, and she uber-pwned everybody,

_Author's Note: :D So yeah, some more Joshua and Natasha fluff… I turned Natasha into a Valkyrie, and she uber-pwned everybody, so here's my little story I thought of. I was all, "What if Natasha got super pissed and decided to try Light magic? I bet she would rock…" Joshua… I lol at him. I actually did laugh, while writing this, too. And yes, I did use an online translator for Natasha's latin. :P But I translated it back into English, so I know what it literally means, and it works fine. If you actually want to know that bad, then… uh, PM me? I dunno. _

_Anywaaaaaay, I'm not going to pester you for reviews, but they're nice to know what people like so I can write more of stuff you like. :D Not like I'll listen much, because my muse is a bitch and decides for me what I write… But if my muse were nice and sweet, I would. I swear. Okay, on to the drabble-oneshot-fic-thing. Enjoy! _

Joshua took a hit from the soldier, and staggered back. He slashed at the man with increasing panic, but as each swing hit, both men lost power. The soldier fell first, while Joshua sank to his knees and leaned back in the grass. The battle was nearly finished, only Eirika remained fighting-- against an armored knight, who was obviously losing-- but she didn't need help. (Of course, Seth stood a few meters away from her, hand on his sword, ready to fly in and attack the man without seeming as if he cared too much for his Princess Eirika. Joshua snorted. If he was going to lie, why not go about it with finesse and style?)

That night, in his tent, Joshua tossed and turned uncomfortably. His wound-- a stab wound in his upper thigh-- hurt like mad, even with the bandaging from the healers. (Natasha included. She fussed over him like a mother hen, the myrmidon thought, smirking.) Their staffs were reserved for major injuries, as usual-- his own would heal in a few days, they said.

But when Natasha checked it the next morning, she gasped. His wound was obviously infected, and wasn't producing a scab or any such natural defense. She reached for her healing staff, and destroyed the infection-- but as Seth's wound had re-opened in the fight, she was needed to use the last few charges in her staff for that. Natasha put her hand on his head. "You shouldn't exert yourself so, especially now. Everyone worries."

Joshua smirked. "I'm sure they do, Mother."

Natasha flushed. He teased her all the time about being so "overly caring", as he called it. She worded it more appropriately-- "compassionate." The cleric turned on her heel and walked stiffly away to help Moulder with Seth's wound. (The paladin in question looked as if he were a deer in the headlights, if there were headlights. Possibly in the eyes of a Gwyllgi? Princess Eirika had brought him in to see the healers, to his obvious dismay.)

Joshua stifled a chuckle.

--

The bandits hit them at dawn, when the camp was sleepy and disorganized. Joshua, as usual, jumped into the fray and went straight to the front lines with Eirika, Seth, and Franz-- the only people who were really awake at the time. (The Silver Knight was annoyed. Anyone with half a brain could guess why-- Princess Eirika was going to the front lines again, he had disagreed, and she had ignored him, so now he "had" to follow her and protect her "in the name of duty". "_Duty, my ass,_" thought Joshua.)

A bandit was using unusual tactics. He saw Joshua stumble once when a branch hit his leg-- the one with the wound--, and immediately took advantage of it. He smacked it with the blunt end of his axe, with all the force that could fell a tree. Joshua was sent skidding, his eyes blurred. He could see spots on the insides of his eyelids; his whole leg was in agony. The myrmidon kept it from his face, except that he was biting his lip so hard that it bled-- quite a bit, as well.

As the bandits began to drive their company back, Eirika noted that they were unusually well armed for common bandits. They were probably being paid by someone, and would take all things of monetary value from the camp. That would include, most likely, any women they deemed pretty.

The healers were clustered together at the back of the troops, healing anyone who had fallen. The blonde cleric noted a redhead, his hat tilted rakishly, trying in vain to stand up and walk back to the healers. The third time, he fell over backwards and didn't get up.

However, Natasha didn't know that Joshua was simply sulking because his leg was stiff. He could walk, though it would create unbeknownst amounts of pain, but he chose to wait for one of their healers to find him.

Natasha did not do so, but stole over to Lute. "Lute, I want to see your book."

The prodigy blinked, and then grinned. "So you wish to learn the subtleties of magic and its art-- there's no one better than me! Have it for a moment, I have an Anima tome…"

She shoved a Light spellbook into Natasha's hands, and the cleric looked thunderous. She would do this-- her master had told her she had an aptitude for light magic, but she had chosen to heal instead. This was a different case. Joshua was hurt, or possibly-- no, not dead, he couldn't die-- their troops were being driven back. They needed an extra fighter, and if she could do a simple spell from the Light book, she could help…

The cleric raised her hand tentatively, then confidently, seeing a bandit approach the Jehannan myrmidon. She spoke, her voice rising and falling as a singer's would, "Caelitus , ostendo a lux lucis! Divinus!"

The tingling feeling that spread from her fingers told her she was doing it right-- a little ball of light faded into being in her hand. She pointed it, palm first, at the bandit approaching Joshua, and called, "Divinus!"

The beam of pure light that came from her hand blinded a few who were looking at her. It hit the bandit, striking him down in one clean blow. The cleric clutched the book to her fearfully, as if she were afraid of her own shadow and it could protect her. Then, she ran towards Joshua, ignoring cries of anguish from the bandit. The myrmidon raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you could do that, Natasha. Damn, now I owe Colm fifty gold coins… I bet him nobody else in our camp could do magic."

Natasha smiled, then frowned. "Either way, you're safe, and the bandits are running like… like rabbits."

Joshua grinned. "Call it."

She frowned. "You should stop your tempestuous gambling, Joshua."

In a second, though, she relented, as he knew she would. "Heads."

He tossed it into the air, wincing at the slight twinge when he adjusted his leg, and caught it. "Tails. I win."

"Well, what do I owe you now?" asked the cleric, exasperated.

"Promise me you won't hit me with some spell of yours. That's it." said Joshua, nodding.

She furrowed her brows. "I promise."

Then, grinning, Joshua leaned in and pecked her on the lips. Natasha was stuttering out unrecognizable words, and Joshua leaned back, chuckling. She was bright red, trying to scold him, probably. But she had promised not to hurt him for that, so he was safe, since she always kept her word.

Finally, Natasha managed to say, albeit softly, "Joshua."

He looked over at her, inquiring silently with a cocked head. She thought he looked like a puppy.

"C-clerics aren't supposed to have relations with men!" she said.

Joshua flung an arm over her shoulder. "Well, with Light magic like that, I'm going to be surprised if they don't take the mage ring that Lute was planning to use for research and let you become a Valkyrie. Or a Mage Knight, but I think you'd be better with just your Light thing going. That's just me, though, Natasha."

She smiled. "I suppose, then… Then I could…"

He grinned back at her. "I sure hope you could."

She flushed, and he laughed. Eventually, she laughed with him.


End file.
